Main line terminal means for logging gears



y 5, 1953 D. 1. MAXFIELD ETAL m LINE TERMINAL mus FOR LOGGING GEARS Filed Aug. 12, 1949 ALBERT A. RUE 041m L. mxnao 3nventors Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED;

MAIN LINE vTERMINALMEAN S EOE, DOGIG'ING GEARS Application August 12, 1949;,S'eriai No. 109,932

This present invention relates to the general field oflogging' cablesand: most especially to meansfor engagingythemai-n line-ofa-logging unit.-

This inventionooneists of anew'f'orm" of "termi= rial fittingfor a logging" choker-andqanew use for aferrule terminal fitting applied-to, the main or-haul-in line-of a logging unit; This method of operation is. predicated'upon having on the end -'of'the main line" a ferrule fixture; and to provideeeach of the chokersused' with this-equip;- ment with a special fitting adapted for" easy and secure engagement; eitherwith the main line itself orwith the main,v line and-the endterminal iitting In the past'ythere has been. producedjia large number ofterminal fittings-for cables",- chokers' and-thelike; each having asapurpose the im provement in methodsof dragging; logs on: theground to-a central point. Eachof these various units serves-to adegree its-designed- 'andintended purpose; This present" inventiorr is believed to be a distinct forward'step in the development 3 of "this type of" gean- The earlier developments were largely predicated upon" ex perience-from areas in which-logs oflimited sizewere handled; or wereadaptablefcruse 'with" the old types: of logging'where excessively long; cables -wereemployed? The" use of this equipment, where relatively' largalogs' are-handled; imposes a greatgdeal of work-andhardship upon: the using personnel."

Inan effort to-reduce thecostgof logging with: the necessary advancement log handling equipment; theheavy gearihas -ben-increased size "to the point *whereit is very -difileultdndeedi to handle; Now-heavylogsrequireheavy-equip-- mentand in this presentinvention the eqnip mentihas' been rearranged; re-desig'neck-and new equipment provided; so that when';1og s* are" tobe hauled from a point somewhat removed-"from the drums holding"; the main line; this-inverttion provides that theveryminimum of gear isattachedto the main line; so that its-handling; can" be easily effected; It' will be noted in the drawings that the main; line has only; 'one rela tively sma1l and lightfixture asthe end terminal. Co-actingwith' thisarrangement isa particularly arranged engaging means on the end of each of'the Chokers usedwith, the main or-haul-in; line. These chokers which havebeeirhighlvde veloped and are asubject of many-separatepah ents normally consist of a cable which-is passedaround ,one end of the log and-has provisions fortightening on the log either by" means*o1'--'an-- 2 eye s splice" or in" later years a wide: variety-:- of hooks; all, tending' topermit the quicker and moresecure=tighteningof the cable-with: the least damageto its This present invention uses the ordinary log securing-means of'the conventional' choker; and the engaging means employed on the other end -co acts' with theqxgar ticular arrangement-of "the main line to" provide security and strength, butat the same time makes for-the division of the-weight to the -point that the equipment' -is easily handled manually.

The" principal object of this present inventionis to provideahauling line terminal and haul-in line engaging; means for chokers which sodistribute the-weight that heavylogs can be handled without any one'piece -of equipmentbeing -burdensome'in' use.

A further obj ect 'of this inventiorris to provide coupling-meansbetween-a mainror-hauling 'li-neof a-loggingsystemand the chokers;;which-arrange=- ment is simple inconstruction and u-se' and' eccenomical' in manufacture:

Further objects; advantages and capabilities will be -apparent from the" description and dis closure inithe drawings; or'may be comprehended orareinherent 'in-thedevi ce:

In the drawings Figure 1 :is a-perspective*view'showing-thema'n ner of -'using the equipmentwhich" is the::subiiect' matter of'this specification;

Figure 2 is a-perspective-view-showing the main or hauli'ng line terminal means and one-preferred: form of ,the choker coupling means.

someone-Figure 2 and asth'oughwut'bya. cutting;

plane passingrlongitudinallythrough the center ofithe chokerhaul-in line engagingmeans; V

Figpre his, a perspective view showing-anale ternateform of'the choker line engaging means; Referrin more particularly; to-the disclosure in the drawings,,,the numeral l0 .designatessthe main or haul-in line... Inspastyearspandnstill used to a limited extent, these hauling lines were reeled on drums on acentrally located donkey, and the present plan as outlined in this invention can 1 be used-very effectively with the older equipment. In" fact; itf-overcomes; many; disadvantages 'of the older, equipment in, the handling of*heavv-gearz:

Present day logging; however, is largely; donebypowerful track-layingtractors, whichemplom no-rmalTy-mountedon 'a'track layingtrailer, some; form-of*boomoryyoke': This-yoke ,or boon l ar -o' rangement places-the fairlead'membier; e551 2'," at,v

a-- convenientelevatiom foruse and; as the logs are pulled up to the trailer, it forms a convenient means for raising the leading end of the logs so that they can be dragged for reasonable distances without abutting stumps or other trees or digging into the ground. This equipment is conventional and used in a variety of forms and of course forms no part of this present invention, except that the present invention is particularly well adapted for use with such equipment.

Secured to the extreme end of the haul-in line H) is the ferrule terminal member l4. This member is secured in place in a variety of ways, probably the best form being that in which the ends of the cable are fanned out and, either with or without the use of a conical plug, the expanded or fanned out ends of the cable are secured within the ferrule by means of, preferably, zinc, melted and poured into the ferrule so as to fill all the voids, and unite the cable and the ferrule. The ferrule is characterized normally by being round or generally cylindrical and having a pressure receiving fiat leading or bearing surface [6. It will be apparent, it is believed, that, with a cable so arranged, the workmen as they carry the cable back to the point where the logs have been out, have a very minimum of Weight to handle. This is a matter of real moment when it is realized that the equipment at best is heavy and the friction of dragging the same any distance is very appreciable.

Adapted for co-action with this terminal ferrule, on the end of the haul-in line, is the haul-in line engaging means or fitting 20 of the choker 22. The preferred form of the choker fitting is shown in Figure 2, in which a key-hole shaped slot is provided having the enlarged portion 24 through which ferrule (4 may be passed, and then a reduced portion 26, whichis made of a size to properly and loosely fit the haul-in cable 10, but too small to pass terminal 14. The larger opening portion 24 is within the main body of fitting 20, and the reduced slotted portion 26 is in that portion offitting 20 that is angularly positioned with respect to the main part of member 20. In the preferred form of attachment 20, it is preferred to employ a recess at 30 adapted to receive a tapered ferrule, as 32, formed on the end of choker cable 22. Bore 30 and the connecting bore 34 are co-axially aligned with the main body portion of fitting 20 and normal to opening 24. This construction is believed to be most fully illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In Figure 4 there is illustrated an optional or alternate arrangement of the terminal fitting. The form of the ferrule receiving opening .24 and the cable receiving slot 26 is identical with the preferred arrangement; however, an opening 38 is provided having its axis substantially parallel to the axis of opening 24, and adapted to receive a cable which is passed throu h it and doubled back on itself and secured by splicing thereto by clamps or other suitable means.

Method of operation ,In using the method and equipment of this disclosure it is normal to bring the tractor with its supporting yoke .Y to a convenient position where a number of logs can be reached. The haul-in line I is then carried out manually, generally along the line over which the logs are going to be dragged, and as many of the chokers as are going to be required are then threaded onto the haul-in line i ll at a point adiacent each log. The chokers themselves, with the haul-in line engaging fittings 20 are of considerable weight but as they are being handled one at a time, they do not present a very serious problem. The next step is to place chokers 22 in hauling position on the various logs L. A strain is then taken on the haul-in line [0 and the choker at the end of the haul-in line becomes taut and a continued movement of the hauling-in line starts to move the one log hooked to the end choker. Then, as the line is hauled in further, successive chokers are picked up and each of the line engaging fittings 20 then comes to rest on the choker fittings that have previously been put under strain. With such an arrangement then, there will be one choker fitting 20 abutting the haul-in line terminal ferrule I4 and each successive fitting 20 will abut the fitting previously engaged by the end of the line. This is a very workable arrangement in that the minimum line load can break loose the logs and get them started in motion. This occurs normally one at a time and mi ht be likened somewhat to a railroad train, particularly a freight train, where it has been found advantageous to start the train by backin"; up slightly and then consecutively starting each car. When the group of logs has been hauled up to the fair-lead 12, the front end of the logs will be raised from the ground and are then thus transported to their loading position.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of a main line terminal means for logging.

Havinz thus disclosed the invention, we claim:

1. -A choker for logging, comprising: a choker cable; means for attaching said choker cable to a log at one end of said choker cable; engaging means at the other end of said choker cable, for securing said choker cable to a haul-in cable having a ferrule terminal; said engaging means comprising an elongated unitary body of less thickness than width, said body having a main portion having in one end a tapered axial opening and said choker cable having a conical ferrule end positioned in said tapered axial opening, said main portion having at its second end a large opening passing transversely from face to back of said main portion, said body having an angular portion extending diagonally from said second end of said main portion, said angular portion forming a large obtuse angle with saidmain portion, said angular portion having a narrow slot, of a size to pass only a cable, communicating with said large opening, the faces ofv said angular portion being flattened, to accom-. modate such ferrule terminal on a haul-in cable and other choker members.

2. An assembly for attaching a series of choker cables to a haul-in cable, comprising: said haulin cable having a ferrule secured to its terminal end; each choker cable having a ferrule end and having an engaging member having an elongatedunitary body of less thickness than width, said body having a main portion having in one end a tapered axial opening and said ferrule end of its choker cable being positioned in said tapered axial opening, said main portion having at its second end a large opening passing transversely from face to back of said main portion of a size to permit passage of said ferrule on said haul-in cable, said body having an angular portion extending diagonally from said second end of said main portion, said angular portion forming a large obtuse angle with said main portion, said DAREL L. MAXFIELD. ALBERT A. RUE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Fisher June 11, 1889 Shan Jan. 22, 1907 Aubrey May 8, 1917 Scafe May 6, 1924 Munro 1 Sept. 1, 1925 Austin Mar. 30, 1926 Mi11s Jan. 17, 1928 Wright Mar. 17, 1931 M011 May 22, 1934 White Sept. 17, 1940 Mackenzie Feb. 25, 1941 

